Armchair 42
Alvar Aalto's cantilevered "Small Paimio" armchair in birch and plywood, dated 1932
600 × 720 × 750 mm
Source: technical drawing image — Armchair 42 (the page's single drawing) — published as W 60 × D 75 × H 72 cm
1932
Finland
EUR 2,875, same price for the black and the white seat shell (clear-lacquered birch frame), shop.artek.fi, 2026-10-14
Description
Overview
Armchair 42, nicknamed "Small Paimio", is Alvar Aalto's cantilevered armchair, dated 1932 on Artek's page. Laminated birch forms the frame, and the seat and back are a single piece of form-pressed plywood.
Construction
The seat shell is lacquered in black or white; the frame is clear-lacquered birch.
Specifications
- Width: 60 cm; depth: 75 cm; height: 72 cm (read by position, not labelled on the drawing)
- Frame: form-bent solid birch lamella; seat shell: form-pressed birch plywood
- Versions: black or white seat shell
- Origin: Finland
Story
For Paimio
Artek's page says Aalto designed Armchair 42 for the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932, and calls it "Small Paimio". The factsheet gives the design years as 1931-32 and describes the build in English as natural-lacquered birch armrests with a bent birch plywood seat shell.
Two nicknames
Artek's archive page adds the nickname "spring chair", drawn from the thin but solid birch frame that gives flexible comfort.
More by Alvar Aalto
Aalto Table extendable
Alvar Aalto's extendable birch-legged table, 135 cm closed and 190 cm extended, dated 1956
Aalto Table round
Alvar Aalto's 1933 round birch-legged table in three diameters, 75, 100 and 125 cm
Armchair 400 "Tank"
Alvar Aalto's prize-winning "Tank" armchair: cantilevered birch lamella frame and wide, sturdy arms
Armchair 401
Alvar Aalto's high-back cantilever armchair with a sprung seat, dated 1933